Multicolor, multilayer photographic elements are well known in the art. Such materials generally have three different selectively sensitized silver halide emulsion layers coated on one side of a single support. Each layer has components useful for forming a particular color in an image. Typically, the materials utilize color forming couplers or dyes in the sensitized layers during processing.
One commercially important process intended for color reversal photographic films useful for providing positive color images, can include the following sequence of processing steps: first (or black-and-white) development, washing, reversal reexposure, color development, bleaching, fixing, washing and/or stabilizing. Another useful process has the same steps, but stabilizing is carried out between color development and bleaching. Such conventional steps are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,921,779 (Cullinan et al), U.S. Pat. No. 4,975,356 (Cullinan et al), U.S. Pat. No. 5,037,725 (Cullinan et al), U.S. Pat. No. 5,523,195 (Darmon et al) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,552,264 (Cullinan et al).
Generally, the photographic processing solutions used for the various processing steps noted above are either supplied as bulk working strength solutions, or as individual concentrates that are appropriately diluted as replenisher solutions in various processing apparatus. Such applications are generally limited to large tank processing apparatus.
A market has developed in recent years, such as in some of the less developed countries of the world or for hobbyists, for processing of color reversal films in small volume processors or in what are known as "rotary tubes" wherein a number of film strips are immersed sequentially in the appropriate processing solutions, which are then discarded. The various processing solutions needed for such low volume uses can be purchased individually and used any number of times, but this would require the users to keep and manage a varying supply of the various solutions on hand. There would be considerable convenience if the users had a single kit of processing solutions that could be purchased, managed and discarded as a unit.
Fuji Hunt's "4 Step E6 Processing Kit" NT 535-1 is commercially available but has limited utility since it is designed for only four processing steps, namely black and white development, color development, bleach/fixing and final stabilizing. Many commercially available color reversal films cannot be optionally processed using this processing kit. Another commercially available processing kit from Fuji Hunt has only three processing solutions (black and white developer, color developer and bleach/fix).
Similarly, AGFA has marketed its AP 44 One-Shot Color Film Reversal processing kit, but it is limited to only six processing solutions because the stabilizing step must be performed outside the processor due to odor. In addition, the solutions in the processing kit are provided in different volumes, any deviation from which adversely affects sensitometric results.
Tetenal of Europe provides various volume processing kits having either three or six processing solutions. Similar disadvantages are evident.
There is a need in the photographic industry for a processing kit that is easily used only once for processing color reversal elements from any manufacturer.